


The Last Farewell

by flewintotheice



Category: Law & Order
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 20:44:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/691256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flewintotheice/pseuds/flewintotheice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's how we say goodbye to someone who will always be a part of the family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> Since I only ever watched the premier episode of Trial By Jury, I’m not sure if a show was ever done about Lennie’s death. The actor who played him for so many years, Jerry Orbach, was such a wonderful and gifted actor that I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity for the gang to tell him goodbye. Don’t expect much from the TBJ gang. As I said, I only ever saw the first episode
> 
> (Written in 2005)

It was cold and rainy the day they laid Lennie Briscoe to rest in New  
York City. Hundreds of New York’s finest turned out for the funeral of  
one of their own, lost in the line of duty. His casket sat atop and  
horse-drawn carriage and was covered by an American Flag. Behind the  
casket walked the Police Commissioner and the Chief of Police. Behind  
them were members of the units that Lennie had either served with or had  
met during his many years of service with the NYPD. Even members of the  
DA’s office walked with the officers as they made their way to the  
cemetery where Lennie would be laid to rest.

Wearing their dress blues with black tape across their badges, the  
officers walked together, side by side, through the streets. Mike Logan  
had come down from upstate, insisting that he be allowed to attend. Don  
Cragen had interceded on his behalf. Next to Mike walked Rey Curtis,  
Briscoe’s partner who had left when his wife had become to ill to take  
care of herself. His wife had only been dead now a few months. It had  
come as a shock when he’d been given the news of Lennie’s death.  
Alongside Mike and Rey walked Ed Green, Lt. Van Buren, and Joe Fontana,  
the man who had taken Lennie’s place when he’d left he precinct only a  
few months earlier.

Behind this line walked the members of the Special Victims Unit: Captain  
Don Cragen, Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, Fin Tutuola and John Munch.  
With then also walked Jack McCoy and Arthur Branch, for they, too, had  
grown to respect the wise cracking detective in their many years of  
service for the city of New York.

The procession finally reached the gates of the cemetery and the  
carriage stopped. The rain had slowed down to an annoying drizzle as  
Mike, Munch, Cragen, Ed, Rey and Cragen carried the casket from the  
carriage to the plot itself. An honor guard stood nearby. The casket was  
settled onto the scaffold that would lower it into the grave after the  
service. The precinct chaplain stepped forward and looked around.

“Det. Lennie Briscoe was a well loved and respected member of our  
department for many years. We all feel his loss in one way or another.  
We have lost not just a good detective, but a partner, a friend, a  
comrade, a mentor, a brother in arms. He gave the many years of his life  
in service to others, not just here at the department but elsewhere as well.

“Detective Briscoe, we shall not forget how well you served your  
brothers and sisters in uniform or how you protected those in this city  
that was your home. And while we know that you in a better place and  
rejoice that you are safe and well, we mourn, too, because we have been  
left behind to fill the emptiness that once you filled for us all.” A  
short prayer was offered and the honor guard began to fire off their  
salute as the flag over Lennie’s casket was folded and handed over to  
his daughter. The crowd of officers slowly began to disburse as the  
bagpipes began to play “Amazing Grace” near where the honor guard still  
stood at attention.

John Munch found himself unable to move. He felt a hand on his shoulder  
and turned to see Mike Logan standing next to him

“I keep telling myself it’s not real,” Mike said quietly. John nodded in  
agreement. “That this is his idea of a really bad joke to find out just  
how much we’d all miss him.”

“Sounds just about his speed,” John answered. “I keep thinking the  
phones gonna ring and it’ll be him telling me it’s time to grab a good  
pastrami sandwich on rye bread and a couple of drinks down at the deli.  
God, I’m gonna miss him.”

“He kept me going all these years.” John and Mike turned to find Ed and  
Rey standing with them. It was Ed who had spoken, though. “Not that I  
don’t like the new partner, but he’s not Lennie.”

“I know what you mean,” Rey said, nodding his head slowly. “When I took  
a leave so I could take care of my wife, he called once a week to check  
up on me, keep me up to date and all. When he said he was leaving the  
precinct it didn’t seem real.”

“I always thought he’d be here long after I was gone,” John said  
quietly. “I’d known him so damn long it just didn’t seem possible that  
the NYPD would ever be able to function without him.”

“We’ll function,” Mike said, “it just won’t be the same without him  
here.” The four men all watched silently as the casket was lowered into  
the grave and the bagpipe player finished the hymn. “Take care,  
partner,” Mike said with a quick salute.

“Keep things warm and ready for us, Lennie,” John said as he made the  
salute as well.

“And keep us safe down here,” Rey whispered, also with a salute.

“We’ll see you again one day, buddy. And thanks. For everything.” Ed  
Green gave the final salute and the four men turned and walked away from  
the gravesite, taking with them years of memories but each leaving  
behind some small piece of their hearts with the man who had been their  
friend, mentor, partner and brother.

 


End file.
